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It’s been about four years since I posted a recipe here. Believe it or not, I do cook and I cook pretty well.

Here’s a salad I’ve been living on for the past few weeks. Since it’s 8,000 degrees here most days, it’s been good to have something you can eat cold.

Spicy Cabbage Salad

Ingredients for the salad:

1 medium-sized red cabbage, diced

1 large red pepper, diced

Half a red onion (or one small one), diced

Large handful fresh cilantro, chopped fine

A quarter cup of roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped

Ingredients for the dressing:

3 T peanut oil

2 T hoisin sauce

3 T rice wine vinegar

1.5 T garlic pepper sauce

1 T sugar

1 T low salt soy sauce

When shopping for a medium-sized cabbage, look for one that’s about the size of a medium cabagge. Chop up all the fresh stuff. If you hate cilantro you can substitute fresh basil. But you really should make the effort to like cilantro. When I first started eating it, it reminded me of floor cleaner. Then I started to like it. Now I can’t imagine living without it. People can change.

Make the dressing and mix it well so the oil and vinegar are emulsified (now are you impressed?). A tiny whisk is good for this. Failing that, find an old dressing bottle and shake the hell out of it (with the top on).

Throw everything in a bowl, mix it up and let it sit in the fridge for an hour for the flavors to meld. Eat.

Note: If you want to make this a complete meal nutritionally, you can add cooked shrimp, cubed chicken or, if you really hate yourself, tofu.

I don’t know how many calories this has, but it’s not many. This also makes a fabulous side salad with Chicken Gai Yang. Pair with: either a decent India Pale Ale or a Pinot Grigio. Rebels might try a Reisling or Sancerre.